Busy moms need shortcuts in the kitchen, but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice quality. This Instant Pot White Chicken Chili takes about five minutes of prep time, but tastes like you’ve been simmering it all day.
And as a bonus it’s Whole30 compliant, gluten free, and dairy free without tasting like cardboard. That’s a win in my book.
The magic of this dish comes from the salsa verde.
With so much flavor packed into the salsa, you can keep the rest of the ingredients super simple. You can of course make fresh salsa verde, but in this season of life with three little kids, I’m all about outsourcing, so I buy mine from Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s salsa verde contains fresh tomatillos, green chile, water, onions, fresh jalapenos, salt, and spices. Just like I’d make it at home.
If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s, you have my sympathies. I drive 45 minutes to the nearest store and stock up on my essentials every few months.
My next favorite brand is Herdez Salsa Verde which you can find at most grocery stores. This one contains xantham gum, which is Whole30 compliant, but something I prefer to consume in moderation.
Salsa verde is usually a mild salsa, and my kids don’t mind the subtle bit of heat at all. Some brands offer a mild, medium, or hot version so be sure to look closely at the jar.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil, I use avocado oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups celery, diced
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 large white sweet potato* peeled and cut into 3/4″ chunks, about 3 cups
- 1 jar salsa verde
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional toppings: extra cilantro, fresh lime, diced avocado, chopped green onions
The Prep Work
This recipe calls for pre-cooked shredded chicken. I make a big batch of shredded chicken almost every weekend because I use it in so many recipes (like this Mediterranean Chicken Spaghetti Squash). I cook shredded chicken in the Instant Pot like this and freeze leftovers in gallon-sized freezer bags. I always keep a bag of shredded chicken in the freezer because with some veggies it makes a fast, easy meal in a pinch.
Chopping onion and celery seems like a kitchen chore I can’t get to with kids around, so it’s another task I do on the weekends. Chopped onion and celery will last for about two weeks in the fridge, and they also freeze well if you want to go crazy with chopping a bunch at once.
Potatoes don’t do as well chopped ahead of time so that’s the only thing I leave for the day of cooking. Chopping the potatoes and pulling out the other ingredients takes 5 minutes tops.
Directions
Press the “Sauté” button on the Instant Pot, and when the metal insert is hot, add your preferred cooking oil. I use avocado oil, but any high high cooking fat like coconut oil or ghee would work fine.
Once the oil is heated, add the onion and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the shredded chicken, sweet potato, salsa verde, broth and cumin. Stir until combined.
Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot and cover and lock the lid. Next, press the “Soup” button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Adjust the time to 20 minutes, and let it cook while you do more important things.
When the chili is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re in a rush, you can manually release the pressure by turning the valve at the top to vent.
Open the Instant Pot and stir in the fresh cilantro.
Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cooking oil, I use avocado oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups celery, diced
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 1 large potato, peeled and cut into 3/4" chunks, about 3 cups
- 1 jar salsa verde
- 2 cups chicken bone broth
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional toppings: extra cilantro, fresh lime, diced avocado, chopped green onions
Instructions
-
Press the "Sauté" button on the Instant Pot, and when the metal insert is hot, add your preferred cooking oil.
-
Once the oil is heated, add the onion and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
-
Add the shredded chicken, potato, salsa verde, broth and cumin. Stir until combined.
-
Press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button on the Instant Pot and cover and lock the lid. Next, press the “Soup” button to switch to the pressure cooking mode. Adjust the time to 20 minutes, and let it cook.
-
When the chili is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. If you're in a rush, you can manually release the pressure by turning the valve at the top to vent.
-
Open the Instant Pot and stir in the fresh cilantro.
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Serve warm with your favorite toppings.
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